PORT ST. LUCIE — Police this week raided three homes and arrested nine people, including a man identified as the "head" of a drug trafficking organization suspected of distributing significant amounts of painkillers in the area, according to recently released documents and an investigator.

Kevin Piscottano, 45, was identified as the "head" of the Piscottano drug trafficking organization. His home in the 200 block of Southwest Reynolds Avenue in Port St. Lucie was described as the "hub or center of operations," according to records.

Piscottano's wife, 50-year-old Christine Piscottano, was identified as an "active participant." When her husband "is too high on drugs or not in the home Christine Piscottano conducts the business with an iron fist," records state.

"The majority of the drug complaints that we get from the community involve the illegal use, selling and obtaining of prescription drugs," police Sgt. Charlie Lumpkin said Thursday.

A total of nine people were arrested Tuesday as part of the investigation. Lumpkin, who declined to go into specifics, said the probe is continuing.

Kevin Piscottano was arrested on charges including RICO, or racketeering, and drug trafficking, while his wife was arrested on drug conspiracy-related charges and an unlawful use of two way communication device charge.

Police monitored a trip the Piscottanoes made to an appointment at a facility in Boca Raton and on to a pharmacy in Fort Pierce.

Records identified the Piscottanoes as "distributors/deliverers," with several others, including Raul Maurice, 31; Melissa Hardecker, 36; and Maurice Jones, 38, being suppliers. Jones was arrested on two felony drug trafficking charges.

Lumpkin said a search warrant was served at the Piscottano home. A search warrant also was served on the home of Maurice and Hardecker in the 400 block of Southeast Sunnydale Lane. Maurice was arrested on charges including RICO, or racketeering, and drug conspiracy, while Hardecker was arrested on drug conspiracy and unlawful use of two way communication device charges.

A third search warrant was served on the listed home of Richard Zappier Jr., 31, and 29-year-old Katherine Von Watts in the 500 block of Southeast Walters Terrace in Port St. Lucie. They were arrested on drug and other charges.

Lumpkin said the investigation began in the fall.

Investigators determined Kevin Piscottano used most of the pills he got from suppliers, along with his and his wife's prescriptions, to sell locally.

Police monitored phone conversations between some of those involved. Sometimes they appeared not to use codes, while at others they did.

For example, one person asked "is David in town" and "six minutes of his time." Investigators suspect the former phrase meant, "do you have Dilaudid/hydromorphone" and asking for "six minutes of his time" communicated a desire to buy six pills.

Jessica Galileo, 30, of Palm City, arrived as police searched the Southeast Walters Terrace home. She was arrested on a violation of probation charge.

Rosie Philips, 59, of Fort Pierce, was arrested with Jones, of Port St. Lucie, during a traffic stop. She pretended to fall and yelled "My arthritis!" and apparently threw something under the vehicle. Police found a pill bottle with dozens of pills under the vehicle.

Two others, identified as Timothy Scott and Misty Fisher, were arrested March 12, each on a drug trafficking charge, records state. Another person, Melody Tyler, was arrested days later during a traffic stop.